Moeen calls for squad to 'stick together' under 'negativity' surrounding England at WC

England opener Moeen Ali has called for the squad to stay together at the World Cup, in order to take away all the negativity surrounding the team.

Following heavy defeats by Australia and New Zealand, Moeen hit 128 as England recorded their first win in the World Cup campaign by beating Scotland by 119 runs.

Ali said that it feels like everybody is against them and everything is negative, adding that it's very important that they take all of that negativity away, insisting that teams do lose but they have to stay together, the BBC reported.

Managing to put a score of more than 300 for the first time in the competition, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand, England then bowled out Scotland for 184.

Steven Finn recovered from recording figures of 0-49 from two overs against New Zealand to take 3-26, while Ali, James Anderson and Chris Woakes took two wickets apiece.

Ali said that there was a point where they thought they could get 330 or 340 but added that they have not been playing that well so they would take 300 at the minute.

The opener said that it's nice to get a couple of wickets and to bowl 10 overs too, adding that everyone chipped in, and is hopeful that they can get on a run now.

Worcestershire's Ali is England's highest run-scorer at the World Cup and also has their highest batting strike-rate (117.03), while only Steven Finn and Chris Woakes have taken more wickets than the spin bowler, the report added.